Comprehension Test
A Cup of Kindness: Stories from Scotland
1 In which story do these things happen? The Pigeon, Donald and the Drovers, Andrina,
The Confession, The Day I Met Sean Connery.
a ...A man receives a letter from a woman he knew long ago. ………………
b ...A man tells a story which isn’t true. ………………
c ...Some men stay alone on an island in the dark. ………………
d ...A young woman follows a man to his room. ………………
e ...A man doesn’t want to go out and celebrate. ………………
20 marks
2 Who said this? Match a number from A with a letter from B.
A
1 ___ ‘You’ll know now that me and the boat are old but honest …’
2 ___ ‘You should take good care of yourself, you all alone up there. There’s still a
greyness in your face …’
3 ___ ‘I’m in terrible danger. I mean, there’s a price on my head now.’
4 ___ ‘Ah, tea.’
5 ___ ‘No, it belongs to me. I am not taking it to any other person.’
20 marks
B
a Ian in The Confession.
b Donald in Donald and the Drovers.
c Jan in The Pigeon.
d Miss Stewart in Andrina.
e Sean Connery in The Day I MetSean Connery.
20 marks
3 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
a ___ Jan once had a wife and a daughter, but they died in a prison camp.
b ___ Ella is angry about the pigeon and she shouts at Jan.
c ___ The drovers have come to the islands to buy cattle.
d ___ Donald only takes the drovers away when they give him a lot of money.
e ___ Captain Torvald lives alone, but a girl called Andrina comes to help him.
f ___ Captain Torvald once married a woman called Sigrid and they had a child.
g ___ Ian explains that there was money in one of the stolen washing machines.
h ___ The detective thinks that Ian should go to prison.
i ___ Marina has liked Sean Connery for along time.
j ___ Sean Connery talks kindly to Marina.
20 marks
4 Match the Scottish words from A with a definition from B.
A
1 ___ wee
2 ___ Hogmanay
3 ___ och
4 ___ Gaelic
5 ___ ye
B
a the Celtic language of Scotland
b an expression of surprise
c you
d very small
e New Year’s Eve
20 marks
5 In which story can you find these things?
The Pigeon, Donald and the Drovers, Andrina,The Confession, The Day I Met Sean
Connery.
a Some shortbread on a tray. ………………
b A chair with its front legs shorter than its back legs. ………………
c A hot-water bottle and a hot toddy drink.………………
d A shoe-box with soft tissue paper in it.………………
e Some oars. ………………
20 marks
Multiple-choice Test
A Cup of Kindness: Stories from Scotland
Setting
Choose the best answer.
1 In The Pigeon, Ella and her family are going out because it is _____.
a [ ] Christmas b [ ] New Year c [ ] her birthday d [ ] her son’s birthday
2 Jan now lives in Scotland, but he comes from _____.
a [ ] Poland b [ ] Germany c [ ] France d [ ] England
3 The story of Donald and the Drovers happens on the _____.
a [ ] Orkney Islands b [ ] Shetland Islands
c [ ] Outer Hebrides d [ ] Inner Hebrides
4 The three drovers want Donald to take them to a _____ on the island of Benbecula.
a [ ] farm b [ ] restaurant c [ ] hotel d [ ] market
5 The story Andrina happens _____.
a [ ] on the island of Orkney b [ ] on the island of South Uist
c [ ] in the city of Aberdeen d [ ] in the city of Glasgow
6 Captain Torvald lives _____.
a [ ] in a flat above a post office b [ ] on a small houseboat
c [ ] in a dark, cold house d [ ] in a warm, modern house
7 The story of The Confession happens in the _____ at a police station.
a [ ] restaurant b [ ] corridor c [ ] office d [ ] interview room
8 Ian tells a story about things stolen from a _____.
a [ ] police car b [ ] lorry c [ ] bus d [ ] nightclub
9 The Day I Met Sean Connery happens at the BBC _____ in Glasgow.
a [ ] children’s cinema b [ ] information centre
c [ ] television building d [ ] radio building
10 Marina sits and watches people in the BBC _____ for an hour.
a [ ] restaurant b [ ] shop c [ ] gardens d [ ] corridor
Multiple-choice Test
A Cup of Kindness: Stories from Scotland
Characters
Choose the best answer.
11 Ella is _____ woman.
a [ ] a worried and quiet b [ ] a strange, but friendly
c [ ] an unkind and angry d [ ] a kind and motherly
12 Jan is now Ella’s _____.
a [ ] neighbour b [ ] husband c [ ] visitor d [ ] cleaner
13 Donald has two jobs. He is a ferryman and a _____.
a [ ] shoemaker b [ ] farmer c [ ] doctor d [ ] teacher
14 The three drovers are very _____ men.
a [ ] generous b [ ] mean c [ ] kind d [ ] ill
15 Captain Torvald now has a _____ life.
a [ ] quiet, but very happy b [ ] busy and interesting
c [ ] rich and exciting d [ ] hard and lonely
16 Andrina is _____.
a [ ] Torvald’s grandmother b [ ] the postmistress from the village
c [ ] a pretty girl of twenty d [ ] an older Australian woman
17 Ian is a man who likes to _____.
a [ ] ask questions b [ ] sit quietly c [ ] talk a lot d [ ] write things down
18 The detective at the police station _____.
a [ ] doesn’t listen to Ian b [ ] listens carefully to Ian
c [ ] puts Ian in prison d [ ] pushes Ian
19 Sean Connery is Marina’s _____.
a [ ] close neighbour b [ ] distant cousin c [ ] dream person d [ ] important boss
20 When Marina first meets Sean Connery, she finds he is very _____ and looks great.
a [ ] tall b [ ] small c [ ] young d [ ] thin
Multiple-choice Test
A Cup of Kindness: Stories from Scotland
Dialogue
Who said or wrote this?
21 ‘You came with me last year. And you enjoyed it. Don’t you remember?’
a [ ] Alec b [ ] Robert c [ ] Jan d [ ] Ella
22 ‘Don’t you remember a child? A small girl? Fair hair, soft smooth hair, blue eyes always
laughing.’
a [ ] Angus b [ ] Robert c [ ] Jan d [ ] Ella
23 ‘Ye can have the night’s part for nothing.’
a [ ] Catriona b [ ] one of the drovers c [ ] a fisherman d [ ] Donald
24 ‘We’ll miss the best cattle. They’re always sold first.’
a [ ] Donald b [ ] Catriona c [ ] one of the drovers d [ ] a travelling salesman
25 ‘I suppose everyone in the island knows that Andrina – that girl – has been coming all
winter up to my place.’
a [ ] Captain Torvald b [ ] Isaac Irving c [ ] Stanley the postman d [ ] Tina Stewart
26 ‘I wish I knew that grandfather of mine. Gran, do you think he’s lonely?’
a [ ] Tina Stewart b [ ] Andrina c [ ] Sigrid d [ ] Isaac Irving
27 ‘Tony’s my brother, two years younger than me, but he was always the clever one.’
a [ ] Eddie Hart b [ ] Andy Horrigan c [ ] Ian d [ ] the detective
28 ‘Come on now, it’s time you were home. Your mum will be worried about you.’
a [ ] Tony b [ ] Malc c [ ] Ian d [ ] the detective
29 ‘BBC coffee is always terrible.’
a [ ] Marina McLoughlin b [ ] Sean Connery c [ ] Kevin Costner d [ ] Kenneth
30 ‘Expect you’ve not had this for a wee while. Go on, put some in your pocket for later.’
a [ ] Marina McLoughlin b [ ] Sean Connery c [ ] Agnes d [ ] Veronica
Multiple-choice Test
A Cup of Kindness: Stories from Scotland
Vocabulary
Choose the best answer.
31 a shirt for a woman
a [ ] blouse b [ ] dress c [ ] cardigan d [ ] scarf
32 a tall cupboard where you can put your clothes
a [ ] drawer b [ ] box c [ ] scullery d [ ] wardrobe
33 the land along the edge of the sea
a [ ] river b [ ] shore c [ ] hill d [ ] pit
34 a boat that takes people on short journeys across a river or the sea
a [ ] hut b [ ] tide c [ ] ferry d [ ] truck
35 a round metal container with a handle, for carrying water
a [ ] bucket b [ ] brick c [ ] plate d [ ] skip
36 a thing that gives light
a [ ] croft b [ ] oar c [ ] lamb d [ ] lamp
37 a large vehicle for carrying cargo on the roads
a [ ] lorry b [ ] ledge c [ ] slip-road d [ ] roundabout
38 liquid that comes through your skin when you are hot
a [ ] dust b [ ] sweat c [ ] make up d [ ] spirit
39 when something is very surprising
a [ ] ordinary b [ ] shameful c [ ] amazing d [ ] huge
40 a flat object that you can use for carrying drinks
a [ ] case b [ ] basket c [ ] handle d [ ] tray
Multiple-choice Test
A Cup of Kindness: Stories from Scotland
Plot
Choose the best answer.
41 Jan finds a pigeon which is very _____.
a [ ] fat b [ ] excited c [ ] ill d [ ] hungry
42 Jan doesn’t want to _____.
a [ ] talk to Ella b [ ] find Ella’s blouse c [ ] look after the pigeon d [ ] go out and celebrate
43 The three drovers want to pay Donald _____ pence.
a [ ] two b [ ] three c [ ] six d [ ] twenty
44 Donald leaves the drovers _____.
a [ ] on a small island b [ ] in a big hut c [ ] near a cattle market d [ ] under some tall trees
45 Captain Torvald _____ a girl called Sigrid when he was younger.
a [ ] ran away from b [ ] killed c [ ] married d [ ] worked with
46 In a letter, Sigrid says that Andrina _____.
a [ ] went to Australia b [ ] sailed to Scotland c [ ] married a sailor d [ ] died suddenly
47 Ian explains that he stole some washing machines, but one of them had _____ in it.
a [ ] money b [ ] drugs c [ ] gold d [ ] silver
48 In the end, the detective thinks that Ian’s story is _____.
a [ ] untrue b [ ] true c [ ] very frightening d [ ] very funny
49 Marina takes a tray of tea and some _____ to Sean Connery’s room.
a [ ] sandwiches b [ ] crisps c [ ] shortbread d [ ] chocolate
50 Sean Connery is _____ Marina when he learns that she’s not the real tea lady.
a [ ] unkind to b [ ] nice to c [ ] cold to d [ ] angry with
A Cup of Kindess: Stories from Scotland
1 a Andrina
b The Confession
c Donald and the Drovers
d The Day I Met Sean Connery
e The pigeon
2 1 b
2 d
3 a
4 e
5 c
3 a T
b F
c T
d F
e T
f F
g F
h F
i T
J T
4 1 d
2 e
3 b
4 a
5 c
5 a The Day I Met Sean Connery
b The Confession
c Andrina
d The Pigeon
e Donald and the Drovers
A Cup of Kindess: Stories from Scotland
Setting
1
b
2
a
3
c
4
d
5
a
6
c
7
d
8
b
9
c
10
a
Characters
11
d
12
b
13
a
14
b
15
d
16
c
17
c
18
b
19
c
20
a
Dialogue
21
d
22
c
23
d
24
c
25
a
26
b
27
c
28
d
29
b
30
a
Vocabulary
31
a
32
d
33
b
34
c
35
a
36
d
37
a
38
b
39
c
40
d
Plot
41
c
42
d
43
b
44
a
45
a
46
d
47
b
48
a
49
c
50
b